Who Could Ever Learn to Love a Beast?
by genieofthelamp
Summary: A series of Klaroline one shots, starting shortly after 3x15. Some of them will follow a timeline, some will just be random excerpts, some of them will be AU, so each will have a little summary in the beginning. R&R greatly appreciated!
1. You Deserve More than I Can Give

**You Deserve More than I Can Give**

**A/N: **A brief one shot taking place hours after the events of 3x15.

"_Caroline."_

The word was whispered intensely, yet so softly no human could possibly have heard it.

Caroline wasn't human.

The blond woman woke with a start, sitting up in bed before she even realized what her vampiric hearing had picked up. She strained her hearing further, trying to pinpoint where the sound had come from. She heard a car backfire five streets over; two tomcats getting into a fight in an alley; the gentle hum of traffic in the distance. She was ready to write the noise off as something from a dream when she heard it again.

"_Caroline."_

Clearly she wasn't dreaming. Caroline shifted, moving her legs from under her blankets and standing. She straightened the tank top and sweats she'd worn to bed as she moved towards the glass paneled door which led to her balcony—the voice had come from outside the house, and from that general direction.

Checking to make sure she couldn't actually see anyone out on the balcony, Caroline carefully opened the door, straining her vampiric senses of hearing and sight to no avail. Whoever was out here was better at hiding than she was at finding.

She had turned again, prepared to head back to bed, when the fine hairs on the back of her neck rose in warning. She whirled around, ready to throw the intruder off the balcony if she had to—she stopped short when she realized who it was.

"What are _you_ doing here?" she demanded, crossing her arms over her chest and frowning.

"'Ello, love," was Klaus' reply for the moment, as he stepped forward into what little light was afforded by the mostly-full moon above. "Did I wake you?"

Caroline rolled her eyes. "What do you think? That I was lying awake all night pining for you?"

Klaus chuckled. "I take it you weren't, then. But a man can hope, can't he?"

"You still haven't answered my question," Caroline shot back, artfully dodging his own.

"I should have thought it obvious; I'm here to see you."

"Well, you've seen me, so you can go now. I don't stand out on my balcony at four in the morning talking to a guy unless I _really_ like him."

Klaus looked amused at the rebuff. "And yet you haven't slammed the door in my face already. Why is that?"

Caroline shrugged, looking anywhere but directly at him. "I didn't want to be _rude_, I figured I'd just ask you to leave first."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then I _will_ slam the door in your face."

There was that steely glint of determination in her eyes, and Klaus didn't doubt that he could provoke her into doing just that. But he didn't _want_ to. "You forget, I've already gained entry to your house. One closed door wouldn't make much difference."

"You're right. But I'm on vervain, so you can't compel me, and unless you came here to get in a fight with me you wouldn't try breaking down my door."

She had him there. "That isn't why I'm here."

"Really? Then why _are_ you here? You still haven't answered." Caroline sounded exasperated. "I didn't think you'd want to talk to me after I distracted you at the bar."

Klaus was silent a moment, studying her; Caroline shivered, even though it wasn't very cold. Then, "I was considering ripping your heart out." He spoke softly enough that it was only because she was a vampire that Caroline could hear him. Her eyes widened and she took a step back—she wouldn't give in without a fight, but she knew in a full on slugfest Klaus was far more powerful—but Klaus shook his head. "I do not… handle disappointment well, Caroline. Nor betrayal. I was angry." He thought back to the drawings he'd burned, watching Caroline's visage consumed by flames. No doubt there would be more drawings to replace those burned before the day was out.

"Then…" Caroline took a deep breath, though for some reason she didn't believe Klaus was going to hurt her. "What changed your mind?"

"You. You were protecting your family, just as I was trying to protect mine. And you had promised me nothing; it was hardly a betrayal. I wouldn't have done any differently in your position."

"If you're here trying to get my sympathy-"

"No," he interrupted her. "That isn't it either. Caroline…" He took a deep breath, stepping closer and looking into her eyes. "When I said I fancy you, I meant it."

Caroline shifted uncomfortably. "Klaus…"

"I'm not finished. I did mean it. I still do. I have been alive for a very, very long time, Caroline. I have seen a great deal. I have watched humanity tear itself apart time and time again, and I believed there was nothing worth saving about it. I believed myself and our kind superior, the only worthy beings on this Godforsaken planet. And yet… when my siblings disappointed me, I drove daggers through their hearts and locked them away. I regretted it, but I saw it as a necessity, and over time I ceased to care. I haven't felt remotely human for nearly six hundred years. It isn't easy to come back from that."

She was looking at him now, _really_ looking, like she was seeing him for the first time. Caroline no longer looked frightened or tense, but almost as though she were in awe of what he was telling her. Klaus allowed himself to hope, a luxury he hadn't afforded himself in a very long time.

"I was never accustomed to the word 'no'. I was even less accustomed to anyone having the nerve to tell me 'no' to my face, as you do. But I'm beginning to think I deserve it. I have done nothing but hurt you and your friends in my quest for power, and the blood on my hands spans centuries and continents. I don't deserve happiness. I don't deserve friendship or compassion. I certainly don't deserve you."

Caroline's breath hitched in her throat. How had he gotten quite so close to her without her even realizing it? And why didn't it bother her?

"But you, love. You do deserve happiness. You deserve more than I can ever give you." He slowly lifted his hand, as though scared he would startle her away by moving too quickly, and very gently touched her cheek. If her heart had still been beating, she might have passed out by now. "Consider Tyler's sire bond to me ended," he murmured. He wasn't entirely sure if he could break it as easily as he could compulsion, but he could at least set the boy free, if that was what Caroline wanted.

Caroline was still trying to manage coherent thoughts when a brief gust of wind signaled Klaus' departure. She could still feel the spot where his hand had touched her cheek, and she touched the spot with her own fingers, staring in the direction Klaus had gone.

She was not falling for the enemy. She was not falling for the enemy. She was not…

"Oh crap."


	2. Something Undeniable Between Us

**A/N:** A one-shot in which Klaus convinces Caroline to go out to dinner with him, an evening which has some unforeseen consequences. As always, R&R is loved! Oh, and the usual disclaimer: I don't own TVD or any of the characters.

**Something Undeniable Between Us**

On the whole, Caroline thought she had done a very good job of getting a certain evil, sadistic, psychotic hybrid out of her head. It wasn't as though every time she'd stopped concentrating on something specific, her thoughts flashed on his face, the way he'd looked at her that night on the balcony—it felt like centuries ago she'd last seen him, but it had only been a week. And that was a _good_ thing. She didn't want to see him, he was basically Mystic Falls' worst enemy, and just because he seemed to have the ability to act like a gentleman didn't mean he _was_ one. Not to mention, he'd promised to free Tyler from the sire bond and she hadn't heard from the wayward hybrid, leading her to wonder if Klaus had bothered to keep his word.

But it all came back to the fact that she was definitely _not_ thinking about Klaus, not wondering where he'd been for the past week, and certainly not thinking about the last time she'd seen him, when he looked so vulnerable, so _human…_

No, Klaus hadn't been the reason she'd just spent all day at the mall. She hadn't been going from store to store pouncing on the hottest tops and skirts she could find, all in an attempt to drive the hybrid out of her mind. She didn't _need_ to, because he was already out of her mind. She wasn't obsessed with thinking about not thinking about him to the point where she couldn't think about anything else; that would be ridiculous!

Denial was a bitch.

"God, Caroline, did you raid every store in the mall?" Liz Forbes asked as Caroline utilized every ounce of her vampiric strength and dexterity to get the front door open without dropping any of her purchases.

"No I didn't!" she said defensively, nudging the door closed behind her with her foot and making her way in a kind of hilarious wobble to her bedroom. "Only, like, half!" she called over her shoulder, before managing to push open the door to her room and dumping the various bags and boxes in front of her closet.

Did she even _have_ enough closet space to fit all of this?

She was opening the closet door, analyzing just how much she could fit on hangars and how much would have to sit on top of her shoes, when someone spoke up from behind her. "Clear out the local mall, did you?"

Caroline whirled around, her eyes widening as they landed on Klaus. How come she hadn't noticed him when she'd come in? Of course it might have had something to do with how focused she was on _not_ thinking about him, but that wasn't the point right now. "What are you doing here?" That seemed to be the response he evoked every time she saw him.

"Waiting for you," he replied, with an insufferable smirk on that way-too-handsome face.

Turning away with a huff, Caroline began pulling bare hangers from her closet and hanging newly-purchased shirts on them. "You know, if my mom sees you here she's gonna freak," she said, still with her back turned to him; her tone was conversational, almost as though she were merely commenting on the weather. _See, he isn't _getting_ to me. Elena just thinks that cause she falls for the bad boys everyone does._

"Best not point me out to her then, love. I'd hate to have to defend myself from the sheriff."

"Really?" Caroline turned then, dropping the hangars and crossing her arms, arching an eyebrow. "Did you seriously just show up in my bedroom uninvited _and_ threaten my mother?"

Klaus held up his hands in acquiescence, but he looked amused at Caroline's irritation. "I wasn't threatening anyone. I was just saying it'd be better for your mother not to know I'm here."

Rolling her eyes, Caroline turned back to her closet. "Then why are you here? I don't remember inviting you over."

"I simply came to invite you to dinner."

A brief pause. Then, "What?" Caroline whirled around again, clearly surprised—that had not been the answer she had expected.

"I said, I simply came to inv-"

"I heard you." She took a breath, wondering if he was serious or just plain crazy. "What makes you think I'd want to go out with you?"

"I thought most girls would enjoy a night out to an expensive restaurant with a man who enjoys her company."

"Yeah well, I'm not most girls!"

Klaus chuckled. "I'm beginning to see that." He paused, looking her over with an expression that sent shivers down Caroline's spine—shivers that weren't altogether unpleasant. "Is that a no, then?" he asked, his voice deliciously soft.

"I can just imagine it now. 'Hey, Elena, just letting you know I'm gonna be out tonight 'cause I'm having dinner with the guy who made our lives hell for a year and a half'," she said, miming a phone at her ear. Then she rolled her eyes and said, "I'm sure that'd go over _real_ well."

And yet Klaus still looked entirely too amused. "So you _do_ want to 'go out', as you said, but you're afraid of your friend's reaction?"

Caroline blinked, trying to figure out how she'd messed up. Hadn't she very clearly said 'no'? "I- it… you- That's not what I said!"

"You know, you're quite beautiful when you're flustered," was Klaus' reply, that same insufferable smirk back on his face. Caroline wanted to slap it off… or something else entirely, which she was not going to think about because she was _so_ not going there. Kissing the bad boy was Elena's territory, not hers.

"I'm not _flustered_, I'm just amazed at how you avoid taking no for an answer."

"I've had lots of practice, love." There was that cheeky grin again.

Caroline scoffed, looking away. "Why do you want to take me out again?"

Klaus seemed to think about this for a moment. "Well, Mother and Finn are gone, as are Kol and Elijah. Rebekah left this morning to… find something for me." He paused, tilting his head—he was trying to catch her eye even as she was studiously avoiding his. "Would you believe me if I told you I were lonely?"

"Yes." Caroline was startled enough at her own answer that her eyes flicked up to meet his. She wanted desperately to keep thinking of him as the asshole original hybrid who killed her best friend and tried to kill her more than once, but she couldn't help thinking of the Klaus she saw that night on her balcony, or at the ball, even when she'd been talking to him to distract him enough for Ric to dagger Kol. And there was something different there, something she was beginning to see despite her best efforts to ignore it. "All right," she finally said, amazed at the words that were coming out of her mouth. But it was too late to turn back now. "I… I'll go out with you. But it's _not_ a date," she quickly amended, though that did nothing to dim the boyish smile that suddenly lit Klaus' face, a sight which startled Caroline more than anything she'd seen him say or do. The only word she could think of to describe him in that instant was _beautiful._ But he was talking again, and for God's sake his mouth was _not_ hypnotizing her.

"Excellent. I'll pick you up at eight, love. And I'll be sure to be discreet."

Then he was gone, leaving Caroline to go over the events in her mind to figure out what the _Hell_ had just happened in her own room.

"What _is_ this place, and how come I've never heard of it before?" It was just after eight-thirty; Klaus had been right on time picking her up. Caroline had told her mother that she wasn't feeling well and had headed to bed early, and she'd told Elena the same thing when the girl had texted her asking if she wanted to come over for dinner. She didn't exactly feel comfortable lying to her mother or her friends, but she knew they wouldn't understand if she told them where she was _really_ going, and it wasn't like it was going to happen again, right?

Caroline was just now getting out of Klaus' car, in front of the 'quaint Italian restaurant' he'd mentioned. She was beginning to think he hadn't done the place any justice at all. It wasn't exactly _huge_, but it was certainly bigger than she'd thought it would have been for something described as 'quaint'. Plus it was only thirty miles outside Mystic Falls, and she'd never heard of it before.

For such an isolated location, though, it seemed to have a steady supply of customers. There was a valet who took Klaus' car keys as they got out in front of the building, and a man standing just inside the door who took Caroline's shawl (and Klaus' dinner jacket) as soon as she entered.

Klaus gave her an appreciative glance. "You look ravishing tonight, Caroline."

"Uh… thanks," she replied, straightening a few wrinkles in the dress a little subconsciously. It was one of the pricier things she'd bought on her extensive retail therapy session earlier, and she hadn't wanted it to go to waste, since she really couldn't think of where else she'd wear it (unless the Mikaelsons hosted another ball). It was a deep burgundy color and fit her body better than a glove, flaring out as it flowed down her legs, allowing her to move without tripping every other step.

She didn't want to admit it, but Klaus in a three-piece suit? He looked _ravishing_ as well.

"Mikaelson, party of two?" the overly perky hostess inquired. Klaus nodded, and the hostess turned, leading them deeper into the restaurant. There was something funny about the way she'd looked…

Caroline grabbed Klaus' arm, whispering into his ear. "Klaus, is she _compelled_?" She was trying to keep her voice down; she wasn't sure how open she could be here. But Klaus simply looked down at her, amused.

"Of course she is. Look around, Caroline."

And she did, looking around at the tables as they walked through the restaurant. She would have found the sight appalling if it didn't make her so… _hungry_. Most of the tables had one or two vampires—and she could tell they were vampires at a glance because they were _feeding_. They had human women—and a few men—and they were just sitting there eating in a restaurant like it was the most normal thing in the world.

She didn't realize how much the scent of blood was affecting her, now that she'd noticed, until Klaus touched her shoulder. "Put those away, love. Wouldn't want to give anyone the wrong impression."

Her fangs. Her hand went to her mouth out of habit, and she felt the sharp teeth there. She hadn't lost control like that in a long while, but seeing so many vampires feeding had made Caroline flash back to her first night as a vampire, the hunger, the fierce need to bite whatever was closest and drink until the burning in her throat stopped.

"Sorry," she said after a moment, forcing her face back to its normal, human appearance. "I'm just not used to… is this a vampire hangout or something?" Though she'd put her fangs away, she couldn't help but staring at the complacent human blood bags at the tables she was passing. Some of the tables had actual human food on them, but even those had a human or two standing by whenever the vampire seated there desired a drink.

"Something like that. Most of those humans aren't compelled, you know, other than loyalty to the establishment. They like the bite. And most of us are careful not to kill them; the owner doesn't like having to find replacements.

"Who _owns_ this place?" Caroline asked, almost in awe as they finally reached their table, the hostess giving them each two menus—one looked like the food you'd find at any upscale Italian restaurant, the other had listings of ages, genders and blood types—and heading back to the front of the restaurant.

"A fellow by the name of Morgan," Klaus replied, picking up the blood menu and scanning the front page. "He's very old, very powerful." He looked over the top of his menu are her, one corner of his mouth twitching upward. "He's actually one of the first vampires I personally turned."

Then Caroline understood the look he was giving her. "Am I supposed to find that impressive?"

"Well," Klaus said, shrugging, "that makes him almost as old as I am, give or take a few decades, and few vampires live that long. I chose well back then."

She couldn't help but laugh. "God, you are _such_ a jock! Trying to impress the girl with your conquests and achievements. Are you sure you never went to high school?"

Her laughter was infectious, Klaus couldn't help it. "No, there were a shortage of high schools when I was growing up. Why, do you think I'd fit in?"

"Yeah, if you'd gotten held back half a dozen times. Trust me, you didn't miss much."

Klaus smirked, glancing back down at his menu. "Do you have a preferred blood type? I would suggest A +, it has that slightly sweet, slightly tangy taste I quite entire."

"Uh… well, I…" Caroline bit her lip, glancing around the restaurant before looking back at Klaus. "I think I'll just stick to… pasta."

"They can bring you blood in a glass, if that's what you'd prefer." He didn't miss the look of relief on her face, and knew then that he'd judged correctly.

"Then I guess I could try A+, I didn't know different blood types tasted differently."

"Excellent. Two glasses, please," he asked the waiter who had just approached the table. He wouldn't be so crass as to drink from a human in front of his date (even if she denied that this was a date), especially since she was drinking out of a glass herself. "And… did you want anything else?"

Caroline glanced back down at the menu, the human food one, and stumbled slightly over the Italian name of a meaty pasta dish before handing the menu back. Klaus ordered the same. When the waiter had gone, he focused his gaze on Caroline, and she had no excuse to keep looking away.

"So…" she said, a bit awkwardly. Was there a Miss Manners article on how to handle a semi-date with your sworn enemy? "What did you wanna talk about?"

"You," he replied without a moment's hesitation. "Your hopes, your dreams… we never got to have that conversation, what with your friends daggering my brother and all."

Even though there was no actual reproach in his words, Caroline glanced down, giving a nervous laugh. Had she still been human, she would have been blushing. "Alright," she said, nodding. "But only if you tell me about yourself, too."

He nodded. "Anything you want to know."

It was nearly eleven o'clock when Klaus finally turned down Caroline's street. She felt a lot less tense than she had on the drive down—there was a pleasant 'blood drunk' buzz in her head, and she'd had her fill of 'comfort food' as well—but some of that tenseness crept back as she spotted a sleek black car parked in front of her house. "Wait… let me out here," she said, sitting up straight and straining her eyes to make sure no one was actually sitting out on the porch waiting for her.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, just… I've got explaining to do, I don't need any _extra_ questions."

"Fair enough." He pulled to a stop, shutting off the engine and the lights. "I enjoyed your company tonight, Caroline," he said as she unbuckled her seat belt (a purely human habit, since she was a vampire now and a little car crash wouldn't do much damage).

She looked over at him, considering. "You weren't too awful to spend the evening with yourself," she finally said, startled to find it was the truth. She'd had a better time tonight than she'd had in months, it seemed. For the first time since Katherine killed her, she'd felt… _alive_. It was the strangest sensation, and she wasn't sure what it meant, except that she had to get out of the car before she did anything else _rash_. _Like kissing my mortal enemy_, she thought, hurrying out of the car before _that_ little thought could vocalize itself. "Good night," she told him, before turning and heading for her house.

As she expected, there was a welcoming committee in her living room. Her mother wasn't there, surprisingly, but Elena and Damon, and so was Stefan, oddly enough. "Hi, guys," Caroline said, giving them a half-hearted wave.

Elena stood quickly when she heard her friend. "Caroline, where have you _been_? Your mom called and asked if I could come over because you were sick and she had an emergency at the station, but I got here and you were gone!"

"I was _out_ Elena, I didn't know I had to clear my plans with you before I went anywhere!" Caroline snapped, though she instantly regretted it. She had lied about where she'd be, after all, and it wasn't Elena's fault that she'd decided to go out to dinner with the hybrid that had tried to kill all of them at one time or another.

"I'm sorry, Care," Elena said, looking a little like she had been slapped. "It's just that I was worried, and you told me you were in sick too."

"I didn't say I was _sick_, just that I didn't feel well," Caroline replied, trying to salvage the situation. But Damon just _ had_ to speak up.

"I bet I know what our little vampire Barbie was up to," he said, looking her up and down and clearly smelling the air. "I think she was at Morgan's place."

"Morgan's? That crazy old vampire's restaurant is still going?" Stefan asked, suddenly interested.

"The guys almost as hard to kill as Klaus."

"Wait, what's Morgan's?" Elena asked, for once the only clueless one in the room.

"It's a vampire restaurant, Elena," Damon replied. "A bunch of compelled staff and walking blood bags who're addicted to the bite, or so sources say. I've only been there once myself. The old vamp didn't like me much."

"Gee, I wonder why?" Caroline muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Caroline. Come on, what's up? Why were you at some vampire hideaway?" Elena asked, concern evident in her voice. Caroline shifted uncomfortably, willing them to say anything but that _one name_…

"Klaus take you out to dinner, Blondie?" Damon asked, eloquent as ever.

The several seconds of hesitation it took Caroline to try to think of a proper response was all they needed to confirm it. "Caroline!"

"Look, he showed up in my room while Mom was home and asked me out to dinner. What was I supposed to do, say no and have him freak out and hurt someone?"

Elena looked mollified, though Damon still looked suspicious, and Stefan, too, was giving her a searching look. "I still wish you would have told me, Caroline."

"I know, Elena, and I'm sorry. I just didn't want you to freak out and worry about me."

"Could you just… not do it again? I don't want to worry about Klaus killing someone else that I love-"

"Wait, this is perfect."

"What do you mean, Damon?"

"If she gets Klaus to fall for her, when we find a way to kill Klaus once and for all she'll be the perfect bait!"

"I am _not_ making Caroline do that again, Damon! It was bad enough-"

"I'll do it," Caroline said suddenly, interrupting their bickering. Stefan, who'd been watching Damon and Elena argue, turned his attention on her, a curious expression on his face. Of them all, he was the only one who legitimately worried her.

"You will?"

"Yeah. How hard could it be, right?" Besides, it wasn't like there was any _real_ danger of her falling for him.

Right?


End file.
